Meghan Markle's Hairstylist Responds to the Royal Wedding Hair Backlash

Like 18 million other Brits, I was glued to my TV on Saturday morning to watch the royal wedding. It was pure magic—from Meghan and her mother arriving in a Rolls Royce, to the band of British children carrying her gown's train, to Harry's now-famous lip-bite moment, and the star-studded guest list. But I have to admit that when Prince Harry lifted Meghan's veil, I yelled out to the television, "Tuck that piece of hair behind her ear!" My friend immediately texted me her displeasure with the now-Duchess' piece-y hairdo. Was it supposed to be a little unkempt? Is she having a hair mishap? Turns out we weren't the only ones frustrated with the look, as Twitter blew up in real-time over the style.

Meghan Markle looks stunning in @givenchy but that one piece of unruly hair that's separated from the rest is going to haunt me for life #royalwedding

Because it was such an elaborate, elegant affair, I think we'd all assumed her hair would be perfectly structured and pinned back, so the fact it was "out of place" initially seemed taboo.

The thing is, this was a nontraditional wedding in every sense—from the fact that Meghan is the first biracial woman to marry into the royal family, to the incredible presence of black individuals during the ceremony, to Harry and Meghan holding hands throughout their nuptials (such affection isn't usually present at a royal ceremony). So having a few untucked pieces of hair only continues the modern vibe. The problem is we just couldn't tell if it was intentional or not. But according to her stylist, Serge Normant, it was.

"It's a messy bun, we call it," Normant explained. "Messy in a controlled way. Making sure it doesn't become a whole mess after a few hours! I don't overload the hair with products in general and certainly not on this day."

The goal was for the look to be laid-back and easy, just like Markle's free-spirited attitude. "I thought something working around the usual angle she has," he said. "I wasn't about reinvention. We worked really closely together, but there was nothing contrived about it. We knew what we wanted to do. We wanted something that was effortless and really timeless. As long as it didn't look contrived." So there you have it—Markle's hair didn't come undone, it was meant to match her easy-going personality.